1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communication terminal apparatus and more specifically, to a communication terminal apparatus such as a facsimile device that is capable of transfer of file data including character code or binary data of a file format or the like used by a system such as a computer system, which file data differing from facsimile coded data used in normal facsimile communication such as MH or MR coding or the like.
2. Background Art
Functions called relay communication and broadcasting communication exist in facsimile communication. Relay communication is a function that relays information sent to a second facsimile device from a first facsimile device, to a third facsimile device specified beforehand by the first facsimile device, by transferring the information from the second facsimile device to the third facsimile device. Furthermore, broadcasting communication is a function that transmits the same information from one facsimile device to a plurality of other pre-specified other facsimile devices.
Conversely, the file transfer (BFT:Binary File Transfer) protocol has been determined. Using this protocol, it is possible to transmit and receive file data (such as binary data, character data) and facsimile coded data in the same call. The encoding regulations for binary file data have been set by ITU-T (International Telecommunications Union-Communication Standards Section) recommendation T.434.
However, as the aforementioned file data transfer functions (hereafter, called file transfer functions) are optional,there are facsimile devices on which these functions are possible and those on which these are not. That is, there are facsimiles that can only transmit and receive facsimile coded data. Accordingly, when relay communication or broadcasting communication is to be performed by facsimile communication, file transfer can be carried out when it is aimed at only facsimile devices having file transfer functions. But when both types (those capable of file transfer and those not) are present together, only the transmission of facsimile coded data can be carried out.
But together with the widespread use of personal computers, the first device to start the facsimile communication is often a personal computer and not a proper facsimile device that transmits facsimile coded data. In this case, the probability is high that the transmitted document is produced by a personal computer as a file of character code or binary image data (bitmap format, TIFF format etc.). However, even when the receiving side facsimile device is capable of file transfer functions, it becomes necessary to convert file data and exchange facsimile coded data for reliable relaying despite the direct transmission as file data of character code or binary image data being more efficient.
Furthermore, problems relating to the abilities of the various facsimile devices also arise when file data of the character code or binary image data file is to be transmitted after conversion to facsimile coded data. For example, problems with the font when character code is to be converted to facsimile coded data after being bitmapped in the memory, and problems with the resolution during conversion to facsimile coded data. Due to this, it may be desirable to perform a file transfer to a certain device by character code or binary image data and then convert that file to facsimile coded data at the font and resolution of that particular device.
Some of the matter contained herein is disclosed and claimed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 7-264376. A difference between the present invention and the application above can be summarized as follows. The above patent (JPA 7-264376) describes how code data received from a host computer is transmitted after conversion to image data when a third party as the transmission destination is a G3 facsimile device and transmitted unchanged as code data when the third party is a G4 facsimile device. However, nothing is stated about when binary data is received from a host computer nor is there anything about relay and broadcasting in the application.